Ou paces Taiwan on mound, Cheng homers, in 5-2 win over Curacao to advance at LLWS

Taiwan to face Mexico in LLWS international final

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Starting pitcher Chin Ou felt tired during Taoyuan, Taiwan’s win over Willemstad, Curacao, so his manager let him snack on M&M’s in the dugout.

The sweet treats gave the 12-year old left-hander enough energy to limit Curacao’s potent bats and send his team to the international final at the Little League World Series.

Ou struck out eight and didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning Thursday, while Tang Fu Cheng homered and scored twice in a 5-2 victory.

Taiwan will play Mexico on Saturday for the right to advance to the World Series title game, while Curacao was eliminated.

“I gave him a lot of M&M’s chocolates to make him happy,” skipper Cheng Ta Lee said through interpreter Ming Huang Yeh.

Little League’s final four will be complete Thursday night when Chula Vista, Calif., and Warner Robins, Ga., play for a berth in the U.S. championship game Saturday against Texas.

Lee said he was especially happy because Taiwan advanced to the tournament’s final weekend for the first time in 12 years.

Ou was a big reason why. Lee set up the rotation so that he could throw his good breaking pitches against Curacao, which was batting .349 as a team entering Thursday.

“He threw a lot of curveballs,” Curacao manager Vernon Isabella said through interpreter Alecto Nicholaas. “That was the difference.”

Leading 3-0, Ou held Curacao hitless until one out in the fifth, when Jayson Libert singled. Ou got Sedwin Reigina to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

“I was very sad,” Ou said with a bright smile, when asked if he was aware of his near no-hitter.

Cheng hit a solo shot in a two-run sixth that gave Taiwan a five-run cushion, before Curacao finally broke through against Ou in the bottom of the inning. Shair Lacrus hit an RBI double to left-center and Claycandy Hariquez singled home Lacrus.

Ou was lifted with two outs, and reliever Wen Hua Sung ended the game with a strikeout.

Hariquez struck out 11 over five innings in a losing effort for previously unbeaten Curacao.